Shifting device for gearing.



PATENTED MAY 21, 1907.

L A PRAYER & W J MILLER SHIFTING DEVICE FOR GEARIN'G.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5. 1906.

2 SHEETSSHEBT 2.

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'uErr n STATES PATENT orrroE.

LEE A. FRAYER AND WILLIAM J. MILLER, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THEOSCAR LEAR AUTOMOBILE COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, A

CORPORATION OF OHIO.

SHIFTING DEVICE FOR GEARING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1 907.

Application filed April 5, 1906. Serial No. 309,968.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, LEE A. FRAYER and \VILLIAM J. MILLER, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin andState of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inShifting Devices for Gearing, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in shifting devices for gearing,especially for automobiles, and comprises a nested arrange ment ofshafts, each connected with the gearing, and each carrying near itsinner end a shifting lever rigidly secured thereon, whereby the shaft isrotated.

It comprises further the location of the levers in proximity to eachother and to a main controlling or operating lever, the latter beingadapted to pick up the short levers and oscillate thesame.

It comprises further the use of an oscillating frame or shuttleinclosing the group of levers, and adapted to look all levers except theone being operated by the main lever.

It comprises further the use of a main controlling or operating leverconstructed to be loosely mounted on one of the nested shafts tooscillate thereon transversely or longitudinally, and to be movedthereon radially against spring tension; and provided with lugs andrecesses to adapt it to pickup the shifting levers, and to operate thesame within the shuttle.

It comprises further the parts and arrangements thereof hereinafterspecifically set forth.

In the accompanying drawings Figure I is a vertical longitudinal sectionshowing the levers in normal position; Fig. II shows the position of theparts when the main lever has picked up one of the shifting levers tooperate the same; Fig. III shows the position of the parts when the mainlever has carried a shifting lever to the limit of its movement in onedirection. Fig. IV shows the position of the parts when the main leverhas been forced downwardly to pick up the fingered lever; Fig. V is aperspective of the shuttle and levers in normal position; Fig. VIrepresents the main lever in elevation; Fig. VII shows the springactuated stops for returning the oscillating shuttle to normal position.

g In the drawings, in which the same reference numerals indicate likeparts throughout, 1 is a casing inclosing the shifting levers andshuttle, and the inner ends of the nested shafts upon which the leversare mounted, and also the lower end of the main operating lever; 2 isthe central shaft carrying near its outer end the arm 3, which isconnected bya rod not shown to the transmission gearing to shift thesame 4 is a tubular shaft or sleeve mounted concentrically upon shaft 2and carrying near its outer end the arm 5 which is connected by a rodnot shown to the transmission gearing to shift the same; 6 is a tubularshaft or sleeve mounted concentrically upon shaft 4, and carrying nearits outer end an arm 7 which is connected by a rod not shown to thetransmission gearing to shift the same. Shaft 2 is j ournaled in anenlargement 8 in the outer portion of the casing, and is surrounded bythe tubular shaft 4; the outer shaft or sleeve 6 is j ournaled in atubular extension 9 of the inner or vehicle side of the casing.

Mounted radially upon shaft 2 to actuate the same is a lever 10 whichnormally has a vertical direction; mounted radially upon shaft 4 toactuate the same is a lever 11, which is provided near its upper endwith the curved fingers 11 and 11 and may be described as the fingeredlever; mounted radially upon the tubular shaft or sleeve 6 is a lever 12adapted to actuate said shaft. The main lever 13 is loosely mounted uponthe shaft 2 preferably between the shorter levers 10 and 11, and isarranged to permit oscillation in a plane cutting the shaftlongitudinally. It is noted that the shifting levers are adapted tooscillate only in a plane at a rightangle to the length of the shafts.The opening through the main lever whereby it is positioned upon theshaft is slotted as shown at 14 to permit the lever to be moved radiallythereon; this lever is enlarged as shown at 15 and is hollowed toreceive a coiled spring 16 and plunger 17 contacting with the shaft 2,which operate to return the lever to its normal upper position after theoperator has depressed the same to actuate the fingered lever, andmaintain it in this position until the operator again depresses it.- Thespring is of sufl icient strength to 1nain tain the main lever in thisupper position when it is being used to actuate the levers 10 ICC and12. Levers and 12 are provided at their upper ends with heads 18 and 19,and lever 1 1 has its upper end extended above the fingers as shown at20, these parts of the levers respectively being adapted to be engagedby the main lever.

Inclosed within the casing 1 is a frame or shuttle 21 mounted upon legs22 and 23, pivotally secured to the casing at 24 and 25. The shuttle orframe is preferably quadrilateral and its sides 26 and 27 form an aredescribed about the central shaft by a radius equal to the length of thelever 10, or 12, and the sides are spaced apart sufficiently to receivethe main lever and the levers 10 and 12 between them being pivotallymounted, the shuttle is free to oscillate in the direction of the lengthof the shafts. Its sides are recessed at 28 and 29, and when all theparts are in normal vertical position the heads of the levers 10 and 12enter these recesses respectively and all the parts are thereby lockedagainst movement so long as this position is maintained. To maintain theshuttle normally in this vertical position spring actuated plugs areprovided at 30 and 31, which are adapted to be pressed inwardly when theparts are manipulated as hereinafter described.

The main lever 13 has projections 32, 33, on one face, and correspondingprojections on its opposite face, the jaw thus formed on each face beingof sufficient width to receive the head as at 18, of the lever 10, or 19of the lever 12, and thereby carry said lever with the main lever whenthe latter is oscillated at a right angle to the length of the shaft.

' When it is desired to pick up lever 10, the

main lever 13 is swung laterally, the projections 32 and 33 carrying theoscillating shuttle in front of them until they have closed around thehead 18, which is then clear of the shuttle. The shuttle having beendrawn laterally by the movement of the main lever, the recess 29 hasbeen occupied by the head 19 of the lever 12, which is thereby preventedfrom movement. In this position, which is shown as to lever 12 in Fig.11, main lever 13 and lever 10 are free to be moved, and the movementmay take place as indicated. in Fig. III. When the lever 10 is carriedforward, one set of gears in the transmission boX is thrown into meshthrough the movement of the arm 3 and its connecting rod (not shown)caused by the rotation of shaft 2, and a certain speed is induced in thevehicle; when the main lever is thrown backward and carried beyondcenter, the gears are released and another set is enmeshed, whereby adifferent rate of speed is induced. It is necessary that the operatorexert a slight lateral pressure continuously in manipulating the mainlever as just described. Upon returning the shifting lever to verticalposition, the spring pressed plug, as shown at 30 will operate to carrythe shuttle and main lever back to normal position. A similar series ofmovements of the main lever will result in the actuation of lever 12 toproduce two degrees of speed in a similar manner through the rotation oftubular shaft 6 and arm 7, thereby actuating a rod (not shown) to shiftthe transmission gearing. If for any reason shaft 4 should tend torotate during the movement of shaft 2 or 6, the lever 11 will tend to becarried toward one side or the other, but its movement will be stoppedby a finger striking against a leg of the shuttle and the rotation ofthe shaft in this position of the parts is rendered impossible. Abovethe jaws heretofore described on the lever 13 are enlargements 34 and 35on its opposite faces, and each enlargement carries a lateral lug 36,37, for a purpose now to be described.

To manipulate the lever 11, main lever 13, being in normal position, isthrust downwardly until the jaws have passed below the heads on thelevers 10 and 12; the jaws on one face will now engage the upper end ofthe lever 11, and when a slight movement is made of the main lever, thelugs 36 and 37, pass between the top of the casing and the upper side ofthe shuttle, and the lever 13 is thereby maintained in its depressedposition, the spring 16 pressing the lugs in contact with the under faceof the top of the casing. As the lever is moved in one direction, thefinger passes through an opening 38 in a leg of the shuttle and acorresponding opening 39 in the casing 1; similar openings are providedon the opposite side to accommodate a movement of the lever 11 in theopposite direction. While the manipulation of lever 11 is beingaccomplished, levers 10 and 12 are maintained against movement by theshuttle, as appears in Fig. IV. When the lever 13 is returned to thevertical position and the pressure removed, the spring operates to throwit upwardly into the normal position, the radial movement of said leverbeing rendered possible by the slotted opening therein shown at 14. 1

To summarize the foregoing description of our invention :1/Ve provide acentral shaft and a plurality of tubular shafts or sleeves mountedconcentrically thereon, and each shaft is operatively connected with thegearing to shift the same to develop the degree of speed desired;mounted at the inner end of each shaft is a shifting lever for rotatingits shaft. Mounted on the central shaft between its shifting lever andthe lever mounted at the inner end of the inner tubular shaft or sleeve,is the main operating or controlling lever, which is constructed tooscillate transversely of the shaft and longitudinally also, and isslotted to permit a radial movement thereof. The longitudinaloscillating movement of the main lever is designed to bring the sameinto engagement with the inner or outer lever mounted upon the inner orouter shaft, whereupon the transverse oscillation of the main levercauses the appropriate shaft to be rotated. The inward radial movementof the main lever causes the same to engage the fingered lever which isadapted to set up a rotation in its shaft by the transverse oscillationof the main lever. IVhen one lever is actuated by the main lever, theremaining levers are held in an inoperative position by the shuttle,which is pivotally supported to swing laterally to engage the remaininglevers and maintain the' same against movement when the inner or outerlever is being actuated by the main lever; the

shuttle is provided with side recesses adapted to hold the inner andouter levers against movement when the middle or fingered lever is beingactuated by the main lever. Spring actuated means are provided formaintaining the main lever in its elevated position, and lugs areprovided therein to contact with the under face of the top side of thecasing to maintain said lever in depressed operating position. Springpressed means are pro vided for returning the shuttle to its normalposition after it has been oscillated laterally. The faces of the mainlever are provided with jaws to engage the upper ends of the shaftrotating levers.

The advantages apparent from the foregoing study of our shifting deviceare :com pact arrangement of parts, the employment of a main lever whichis thrown into operative engagement with the shaft actuating levers byan oscillatory or a radial movement, and the location thereof on thecentral shaft always remains unchanged, thus assuring ease, quickness,and accuracy of operation. The shuttle provides a locking means for theunoperated levers, and, being mounted pivotally, is adapted to theconditions created by the manipulation of the main lever. Only one handlever is required to be manipulated by the operator, its position on itsshaft is not changed, and its use in connection with the shifting leversproduces two positions of the gearing with each shifting lever,rendering six combinations of gearing possible with the arrangementshown in the drawings herein.

The arrangement and construction of parts herein shown is deemedpreferable, but other arrangements and constructions are possible andmay readily be suggested or demonstrated; we do not, therefore, limitourselves to What is specifically shown or described herein but claimall variations which are within the spirit of our invention.

IVhat We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1.Shifting devices for gearing, comprising nested shafts connected withsaid gearing, shifting levers mounted on said shafts to rotate the same,a controlling lever mounted on one of the shafts and constructed'tooscillate longitudinally thereon to engage some of said shifting leversand to oscillate transversely thereon to actuate any of said levers tocompel a rotation of the shaft desired.

2. Shifting devices for gearing comprising nested shafts connected withsaid gearing, levers mounted on said shafts to rotate the same, acontrolling lever mounted on one of the shafts and free to oscillateboth longitudinally and transversely thereon and constructed to engage aselected shifting lever to actuate the same, and means to prevent themovement of the remaining levers.

Shifting devices for gearing comprising a rental shaft, tubular shaftsmounted concentrically thereon, shifting levers mounted on said shaftsto rotate the same, a controlling lever mounted on one of said shaftsand constructed to admit of longitudinal and transverse oscillationthereon and constructed to be depressed radially thereon, saidcontrolling lever being ad apted to engage and to rotate any selectedshifting lever, and means adapted to prevent movement of the remaininglevers.

4. Shifting devices for gearing comprising a central shaft, tubularshafts concentrically arranged thereon, shifting levers mounted uponsaid shafts, a controlling lever mounted 011 one of said shafts andconstructed to oscillate longitudinally thereon to engage a shiftinglever, and constructed to oscillate transversely thereon to compel saidshifting lever to rotate its shaft, and pivotally mounted meansinclosing said levers and adapted to prevent movement of the levers notengaged by the controlling lever.

5. In a shifting device for gearing, a plurality of shifting levers, acontrolling lever mounted to admit of transverse and longitudinaloscillation throughout its length, rigid jaws formed on the faces ofsaid controlling lever adapted to engage a selected shifting lever,pivotally mounted means inclosing said levers, said means being adaptedto be moved laterally by said controlling lever when said jaws arebrought into engagement with said shifting lever, whereby said means ispositioned to lock the remaining shifting levers against movementthereof.

6. In a shifting device for gearing, a plurality of shifting levers, apivotally mounted frame inclosing said levers, there being a recess inthe side of said frame, a controlling lever mounted to be oscillatedlongitudinally and transversely throughout its length, rigid jaws formedon the faces thereof, said controlling lever being adapted to be swunglaterally to engage said jaws with a shifting lever, whereby said frameis swung laterally, and a second shifting lever is thereby locked insaid recess. 7. In a shifting device for gearing a fingered shiftinglever, a controlling lever adapted to be depressed radially againstspring pressure, a casing inclosing said levers, means carried by saidcontrolling lever to engage said fingered lever when said controllinglever is depressed, and means carried by said controlling lever toengage against said casing to maintain said controlling lever inoperating engagement with said fingered lever.

8. In a shifting device for gearing, a plurality of shifting levers, afingered shifting lever, a frame surrounding said levers, there beingpivoted legs having openings therethrough supporting said frame andrecesses in said frame, a controlling lever adapted to operate saidshifting levers, said fingered shifting lever being held againstmovement by contacting with said legs when another shifting lever isoperated, the fingers on said fingered lever being adapted to passthrough the openings in said legs to permit said lever to be operated.

9. In a shifting device for gearing, shifting levers, a controllinglever mounted to be 0scillated longitudinally to engage certain shiftinglevers and to be depressed radially to engage other shifting levers, andto be oscillated transversely to operate any of said shifting levers,means to permit the selection of any shifting lever desired to beoperated by said controlling, lever, and means to prevent the operationof all shifting levers except the one so selected.

10. In shifting mechanism for gearing, a

shaft, a controlling lever mounted thereon and constructed to bedepressed radially thereon, and spring-pressed means carried by saidlever and bearing against said shaft and adapted to maintain said levernormally in elevated position.

' 11. In shifting mechanism for gearing, a plurality oflevers, apivotally mounted frame surrounding said levers, a controlling leveradapted to swing said frame upon its pivot, and spring-actuated meansconstructed to return said frame to normal position.

12. In shifting devices for gearing, a controlling lever, a fingeredshifting lever, a frame member surrounding said levers and mounted tooscillate laterally upon pivoted legs, said legs having openingstherethrough, means for oscillating said frame member, the operation ofsaid fingered lever being prevented by the engagement of a finger withone of said legs when the frame member is in oscillated position, andthe operation of said fingered lever being permitted by the passing of afinger through one of said openings when the frame member is in normalposition.

In testimony whereof we afiiX our signatures. in the presence of twowitnesses.

LEE A. FRAYER. WILLIAIVI J. MILLER.

I/Vitnesses:

R. E. RIGHTMmE, GEO. W. RIGHTMIRE.

